Can lifting and carrying device



y 23, 1944. R. M. WEIR 2,349,531

CAN LIFTING AND CARRYING DEVICE Filed Dec. 1'7, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 49ac /3 I ITEM-E12: /0

I /6 /4 AK /7 3 J 0 ft 20 a 2/ i m 0 i I lrwlwtor @0552 7 MMVQ May 23,1944. I R. M. WEIR 2,349,531

CAN LIFTING AND CARRYING DEVICE Filed Dec. 17, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented May 23, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,349,531 H n CANLIFTING AND CARRYING DEVICE I Robert M. Weir, Salem, Greg. 7 ApplicationDecember 17, 1943, Serial No. 514,697

4 Claims.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple,durable and highly efficient device of the above kind.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a can liftingand carrying device of the above kind which is easy to use andmanipulate, and otherwise well adapted to meet the requirements for asuccessful commercial use.

The present invention consists in the novel form, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in theaccompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing a lifting and carrying deviceconstructed in accordance with the present invention and operativelyengaged with two ice cream cans.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the device shown in Figure 1,with the cans omitted.

Figure 3 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 1, drawn on a largerscale, and with parts broken away and in section to more clearly revealdetails of construction, the cans being omitted.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present can lifter and carriercomprises a horizontal elongated rigid supporting bar 5 having a rigidarm 6 depending from the intermediate portion thereof, oppositely andoutwardly facing arcuate can-engaging jaws I and 8 being carried by thelower end of the arm 6. Bell crank levers 9 and ID are pivoted at 9a and[a to opposite ends of the supporting bar for swinging movement in avertical plane, and these levers have arms 9b and Ifib depending belowthe supporting bar 5 and provided upon their lower ends with oppositelyand inwardly facing arcuate can-engaging jaws II and I2. The other arms90 and Iflc of the bell crank levers extend inwardly toward each otherdirectly above the supporting bar 5 and have their adjacent inner endsconnected by a flexible member I3 consisting of a rubber tube or thelike snugly and slidably fitted over the adjacent ends of said leverarms '90 and Illc. Helical compression springs I4 and I5 are seated incup-shaped members I6 and I1 fixed upon the supporting bar 5, and theupper ends of these springs are connected to the lever arms and H30, asat I8 and I9.

elevate the lever arms 90 and "I00 so as to swing the lever arms 9b and"lb inwardly toward each other.

In using the present device, the lever arms 90 and IUc are formedtowardthe supporting bar 5 by manual pressure against the action of springs I4and I5. The arm ii is disposed between a-pair of adjacent ice cream cansC and C so that the jaws I and 8 respectively engage the adjacent sideof the can C and the adjacent side of the can C. The lever arms 90andIOc are then released so that the springs I-4 and I5 swing the levers9 and ID to bring the arms 91) and lb inwardly and thereby causegripping engagement of the jaws II and I2 with the other sides of therespective cans, with the jaws I and 8 and the jaws II and I2 disposedbeneath the marginal rims 20 and 2| at the tops of the cans. Upongripping and pulling upwardly upon the flexible connecting member I3 thebell crank levers will be forced and maintained in position to tightlygrip the cans so that they may be conveniently lifted and carried fromone place to another. Should it be necessary to set the cans down one ormore times before arriving at the desired destination for the. cans, thelifting and carrying device will remain in operative engagement with thecans due to the action of the springs I4 and I5. However, when it isdesired to disengage the device from the cans, the member I3 is forcedtoward the bar 5 so as to swing the levers 9 and ID in a direction tocause outward movement of the arms 91) and Illb and disengagement of thejaws II and I2 from the outer sides of the cans.

The pivotal connections of levers 9 and I0 with the supporting bar 5 arepreferably effected by forking the ends of said bar 5 to receive thelevers and to provide ears through which the pins of the pivots extend.It will be seen that I have provided a very simple and durable, as wellas highly eflicient can-lifting and carrying device of the kinddescribed. The device is easy to use and manipulate and will remain inengagement The arrangement is such that the springs I4 and I5 act tonormally supporting bar, an arm rigid with and depending from theintermediate portion of said supporting bar, oppositely and outwardlyfacing arcuate can-engaging jaws carried by the lower end of said arm,bell crank levers having arms pivoted to opposite ends of the supportingbar and depending below the latter, further oppositely and inwardlyfacing arcuate can-engaging jaws on the lower ends of said arms, saidlevers having other arms extending inwardly toward each other above thesupporting bar, and a flexible connection between the inner ends of saidlastnamed arms.

2. A device for simultaneously lifting and carrying two cans, comprisingan elongated rigid supporting bar, an arm rigid with and depending fromthe intermediate portion of said supporting bar, oppositely andoutwardly facing arcuate can-engaging jaws carried by the lower end ofsaid arm, bell crank levers having arms pivoted to opposite ends of thesupporting bar and depending below the latter, further oppositely andinwardly facing arcuate can-engaging jaws on the lower ends of saidarms, said levers having other arms extending inwardly toward each otherabove the supporting bar, and a flexible connection between the innerends of said last-named arms, said last-named connection comprising aflexible tubular member slidably telescoped onto the adjacentends ofsaid arms.

3. A device for simultaneously lifting and carrying two cans, comprisingan elongated rigid supporting bar, an arm rigid with and depending fromthe intermediate portion of said supporting bar, oppositely andoutwardly facing arcuate can-engaging jaws carried by the lower end ofsaid arm, bell crank levers having arms pivoted to opposite ends of thesupporting bar and depending below the latter, further oppositely andinwardly facing arcuate can-engaging jaws on the lower ends of saidarms, said levers having other arms extending inwardly toward each otherabove the supporting bar, and a. flexible connection between the innerends of said last-named arms, and helical compression springs interposedbetween the last-named arms of the levers and said supporting bar fornormally yieldingly maintaining the jaws in gripping engagement with thecans.

4. A device for simultaneously lifting and carrying two cans, comprisingan elongated rigid supporting bar, an arm rigid with and depending fromthe intermediate portion of said supporting bar, oppositely andoutwardly facing arcuate can-engaging jaws carried by the lower end ofsaid arm, bell crank levers having arms pivoted to opposite ends of thesupporting bar and depending below the latter, further oppositely andinwardly facing arcuate can-engaging jaws on the lower ends of saidarms, said levers having,

other arms extending inwardly toward each other above the supportingbar, and a flexible connection between the inner ends of said last-namedarms, and helical compression springs interposed between the last-namedarms of the levers and said supporting bar for normally yieldinglymaintaining the jaws in gripping engagement with the cans, the upperends of said springs being connected with the lever arms, and cupmembers on the supporting bar in which the lower ends of said springsare, seated.

ROBERT M. WEIR.

